Packing and Crating

We can handle the small and delicate or oversized and overweight. We use the highest quality materials and the best craftsmen to ensure that your shipment arrives safely and in perfect condition. Our agents will pick up and professionally pack your items no matter where they are.

What Can We Pack?

Fine Art

We pack and ship fine art all over the world, including paintings, sculptures, fragile ceramic and porcelain, and high value items.

Antiques

Whether you are buying, selling, or just passing down treasured possessions for future generations, we will help make packing and shipping your antiques easy. We have packaged and shipped everything from ancient artifacts to recent memorabilia.

Machinery

Depending on the size and weight of your machinery, we will box, crate, or wrap it appropriately. Shipping heavy equipment parts? No problem. Sensitive lab equipment? We can do that too.

Electronics

High-tech manufacturing and laboratory equipment, TVs, home theater equipment, computer servers, network equipment, gamma ray laser diode flux capacitors, we have shipped it all. Just kidding about the flux capacitor, but we have shipped things with names like that! We can even pack or crate to your precise specifications if you already have your packaging designed.

Furniture

Packing and shipping furniture is a special niche, and requires experience. No matter what type of furniture you have, we will help select the best packing method and shipping mode, whether freight, small parcel, blanket wrap, or van line service. We pack and ship rugs, tables, chairs, beds, buffets, cabinets, and more.

Household Items

Whether you are shipping lamps, clocks, fine china, vases, pottery, sporting goods, musical instruments, photos, posters, or just knick-knacks, we can pack them all according to their fragility, value, weight, and other factors.

Other Miscellaneous Items

We package and ship auto parts, office equipment, live plants, tools; basically, anything you can think of, we have probably shipped it.

Choosing the Right Packing Method

Several factors influence the choice of packing method. Depending on the situation, there may be multiple packing methods available, with the best one depending on cost and risk factors. At Pack and Post we understand these factors intimately, and we can help you choose the right type of packaging for your risk tolerance and budget.

Weight

The item’s weight is probably the single most important factor in determining the appropriate packing method. Depending on their construction and type, most single-wall corrugated cardboard boxes can only handle 30-40 lbs. A double-walled, 275-psi test box can handle about 80 lbs. If your item is heavier than that, it will require a wooden crate or specialty super-strong double-wall or triple-wall box. When dropped or handled, the total weight of the package has a huge impact on how much crushing or bursting force it will have to sustain.

Size

Very small boxes are available, even 4 inch cubes or smaller. When using a small box, make sure it is large enough for the address labels and any other required paperwork (packing lists or customs paperwork for international shipments). On the large end, boxes up to 30 inch cubes are common. Art boxes are available up to about. Pallet-size gaylord boxes are available for furniture and similar items. Wooden crates can be made for almost any size object.

Fragility

Fragile items need extra protection. Glass, porcelain, and ceramic items must have several inches of cushioning, and even pressure distribution. Electronics may be sensitive to vibration. Artwork and furniture may have sensitive finishes. Certain types of artwork and other items may also be sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Stringed musical instruments may require loosening of the strings and other protections. All of these considerations should be addressed when choosing the right packaging materials and shipping mode.

Value

The value of the item can influence the packing method. For expensive items, it is worth spending more money on packing to reduce the risk of damage. We recommend crating any item worth over $4,000 as a standard threshold.

Shape

Items with flat surfaces are the easiest to pack. Irregular shapes cause uneven pressure distribution during handling or impacts. Using foam and other materials, we build up items from the inside out to even out the pressure. Delicate parts can be avoided by building up packing material around them, to reduce or even eliminate contact with the outer cushioning material and box or crate.

Distance, Shipping Mode, and Speed

Items shipped via small parcel carrier may be flipped upside down and side to side many times during transport. This End Up stickers may provide some peace of mind, but don’t really change the way that packages are handled during loading, sorting, and shipping. In contrast, when packing freight shipments, it’s possible to control the package orientation, and also to guard the item by placing it in the center of a pallet where it is not likely to be run into. Very fragile and valuable items should be sent with the fastest service level to minimize handling and transport time. Hot Shot and direct door-to-door transport solutions are available for the most sensitive items.

Customer Packing Tips and Requirements

Here are some tips for the do-it-yourself guys and gals. If you ever need any help or have any questions we are always more than willing to talk to you on the phone or answer your emails. Please don’t hesitate to ask.

Always use new boxes. Check the certification stamp on the bottom to make sure your box is certified to handle the weight of the items you intend to put inside. If you’re shipping via small parcel carrier, check the box strength recommendations for that carrier.

Distribute the weight evenly inside the box.

Use bubble wrap, foam, paper, sealed air or other padding to provide at least 2 inches on all sides of your item as well as between items.

Use the same filler to pack your items tight enough that they do not move inside the box. Don’t over stuff. Make sure the box top is flat when closed.

Small bubble wrap should be used for more delicate items. Sometimes it is wise to layer large bubble wrap on top of the small to provide extra insulation.

If you intend to ship luggage, golf bags, plastic containers or other non-boxed items, make sure you are okay with the outside finish of these items arriving marked up and soiled. If the packaging is fragile, plastic containers, box the item before shipping.

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